Draft attachment.



" M. H. BLANCHARD.

DRAFT ATTAGHMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1910.

1,015,260, l Patented Jan.16,1912.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET z.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0..WASH|NGTN. D. c,

To all whom it mag/concern: u

Be it known that yI,`MArR'rI.i\I I-I.y BLAN- CHARD, a citizen ofthe United States,;and a resident of Davisville, county ofjYolo,y and State of California,` have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Art-vi tachments, ficati'on. v Y

The invention relates,v to improvements in draft appliances to bey used in 1connection with harvesters and agriculturalmachines of which the following isiaspeci-L generally which are adapted to bedrawn: byu

horses or other draft animals. Y x

The object of the invention is to provide av simple, stro-ng and easily operable mechanism which will be particularly eliicientfiri allowing an angular direction of .motion o'fhr the harvester when the pull is straight ahead.v l Another object of theinvention ist() pro-- vide a draftappliance in which" the guide to the direction of .pull bythe force exerted by the draft animals. t t

Heretofore, in order to Steerjor change the direction of motion of the harvester', it has been necessary to swing theteam Qin 'the difeo ' are necessary. In .operatingalong banks of.;

hicle.

rectiongthatit isvdesirable to swing the veation is very unsatisfactorywhere'short turns or abrupt deviationsfrom the line of pull sloughs, or other irregular boundaries it is often desirable to swing theharvester a; short distance toone side or the other inf" order to reachall thevv grain, and this has been heretofore impossible,rit beingnecessary often to turn thelharvester at the end 'of the run and come baclrand 'pass over the ground a second time. .In'hill side work, thev system in use is objectionabledue tothe fact that the harvester has a tendency to slip 'l down hill, or away from the grain when working from below the grain, and in order to hold it up to the `work it isnecessary to; swing the team partly into `the grain-softhat the line of pull will be at an angle to the;

direction of travel. in down or on the grain ,the drag on the header has a tendency to. throw the harvester" out of the line of pull. By the use of the' attachment of my rinventionf-the 'tealnjis allowed to pull straight. ahead loverl the ground which has already been cut and l,the

steering wheel is set atlthe properangle to hold the harvester upto the work. Y f v l Specification of Letters Patent. Appncationnied september 12;,1919.

. pdescriptitms,y within theM kplements. or steering wheel ofthe vehicle isinclin'ed On account of `the large `number?ofv horses usedY to pull the harvestenthis oper-.-

And also when cut-ting serial No; 581,653;

` ThisQ device ypossesses. VVother advantageous features whichfwith they foregoing will be.; setforthfat length in the following descrip-fA tion,V where I shall-'l `outline in full Athat form Patented Jan. 16,1912.'4 -v of embodiment 'ofthe invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanyingand forming part of the"l presentspeciiication. The noveltyl offthe invention'will be includedin the claims 'suc- -`be apparent j that I do not restrict 'myself 1 to L the Asl'iowing made bysuch drawings, and l y aSI may adopt many variations L l claims: lsInfthe said claims I'i Lvhave specified a vehicle; but it is to be rinden,

the linventionis applicableto all maya be. drawn, such asr` scope of my inventionfasl explowsh'hafrrows', and 6th fr agriculturalfim-V yoperating the attachmentvof my invention;L

Fig: 2 fis aplan' or top viewpof the frontend ofthe liar tree ,being broken away to disclose the oper-G' y-ative' mechanism. vFig.l 3 is a front the main double-tree showing` the relative jl y n J' positions of the i various; ,operative mecha.- nisms; fFig, t shows a modication ofthe double-treel in place,

The central longitudinal rails the1 'harvester extend'sufficiently in front of ythe forwvard,y cross-rail to allow the circular "bearing plate t t'o.'be attached thereto inv advance of the Y rail 3.

tached/to nthe rails 2 areprovided at suitable distance apart ltdbracethe forwardlyfextendinggframe and to provide bearings` for plate 4.,' Ani auxiliary frame c 'the baring cmposed ofthe rails 6 and 7 carriesthe guide onsteeringlywheel `8. TheV rails 6"have are shapedplates 9 mounted on theupper ceediiig said description. From this it will' la side elevation of'thefront endof the harvestershowing one means Sof t vester, partofthe main ^doubleview of "l" ymeans for locking the segments fof "the f Cross rails r5, at-

'".V i' face'invsuchlposition that-:they engage in a f grdove on the lower faceA of the bearing/'I platee, and are .movablefin the grooveito allow the guide wheel 8to be turnedx tovary' theffdirection of travel `ofthe vehicle@v The rails 'extend inf front Iof the frameof ythe vehicle andare adapted to "be 4attached to the main Kdouble-tree 12.5` yThe main double-r' i tree 12 is preferably formed as a truss,both

to increase, its strengthjand to provide for the placing of the frame-carrying the `steering 'wheel may bel sof'7 mechanism whereby the AGI shifted without changing the direction of the pull. The two members of the t-russ forming the main double-tree are spread apart along the central portion to allow the various members of the mechanism to be arranged therebetween and to provide bearings for the various elements. The outer ends of the main double-tree are provided with the usual clevises for attaching the double-trees, swingle-trees or other draft apparatus.

A gear wheel 13 mounted on the vertical shaft 14 is arranged at the center of the main double-tree 12. Above the double-tree a chain wheel 15, or other operating device, is mounted on the same shaft 14, so that the rotation thereof will cause a rotation of the gear 13. A chain 16 passing around the chain wheel 15 is connected to a cable or rope 17 which is connected to a steering shaft 18 located adj acenttothe drivers seat19. Instead of extending forward and being controlled atl the drivers seat 19, the cable 17 may pass backward and be controlled from a point in the rear, such as the seat of the man who attends to the operation of the header. For therpurpose of preventing the chainrfrom being unshipped from the chain wheel 15 during the movement of the chain, Ivprovide guide wheels 21 on opposite sides of the wheel.

Arranged between the members of the truss forming the main double-tree and pivoted thereto at their outer ends 24, are the levers 22--26- The inner end of each lever is provided with a curved rack or segmental gear 23, meshing with the gear 13. It is evident, therefore, that as the gear 13 is revolved, the levers 22-26 move in opposite direct-ions, due to racks 23 meshing on opposite sides of the gear 13. The levers 22-26 are attached to the wheel carrying frame 6 by the links 25-27 pivotally attached to the forward extension of the frame 6 at 28 and to the levers 22-26 at 31-32 respectively. Normally, the levers lie parallel with the main double-tree and the pull is exerted equally on both sides of the frame 6 with the result that the guide wheel 8 lies in the line of pull. In order to maintain the levers in this position for ordinary work, I have provided a locking pin 35 carried by a bracket 36 attached to the main doubletree in such position that it may be dropped into engagement with a seat or hole in the chain wheelrl to hold the gear 13 fixed. A rope or chain 34 attached to the pin eX- tends to a position adjacent to the drivers seat 19, so that the pin may be lifted from or dropped into engagement with the chain wheel 15 as the circumstances require. lIhe aperture in the chain wheel toreceive the pin is .placed so .that it occurs directly beneath the pin when the wheel is in such position that the levers 22-26 are parallel.

A modification of the locking mechanism is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the shaft 18:,

carrying the cable 17, is locked in any desired position. A toothed wheel 37 attached to the shaftis held fixed in any desired position by means of the pawl 38. This pawl may be operated by foot or by hand to engage or disengage the toothed wheel.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: I will assulne that the various parts are in normal inoperative position as shown in Fig. 2. The chain wheel 15 is operated to turn the gear 13 in a counter-clockwise direction, advancing lever 22, and depress ing lever 26. It is evident that as the lever 22 moves forward and lever 26 moves backward, the greater proportion of the pull of the team will be transferred through the link 25 to that side of the frame (3 to which it is connected. This will operate to throw the frame 6 into the line of pull or toward that side to which the link 25 is connected.' The guide wheel S will, therefore, be shifted and the machine or vehicle will incline toward the side to which the lever 22 is attached. During the operation the pull of the team has been straight ahead, and the direction of the vehicle has been inclined to the direction of the pull. The reverse operation is performed to bring the vehicle back to the line of pull, and if the course is then straight ahead, the gear 13 is locked in the inoperative position. In hill side work, where the vehicle has a tendency to slip down hill, the guide wheel is set at an angle so that the climb is equal to the slip. In this manner the harvester will move in the line of the pull and be held up to the standing grain.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle having a frame carrying a guide wheel, a draft attachment including a double-tree attached to said frame and provided with means for partially rotating the frame in a horizontal plane independent of the motion of the double-tree.

2. In a vehicle adapted to be drawn, a guide wheel, a double-tree, and means on the doublevtree operative to vary the direction of movement of the guide wheel independent of the motion of the double-tree.

3. A draft attachment for vehicles provided with a steering wheel comprising means on the double-tree operative to vary the angular position of the steering wheel independently of the direction of pull of the team.

4. A draft attachment for vehicles having a steering wheel comprising oppositely disposed levers on the double-tree connected to opposite sides o the frame carrying the steering wheel, and means for oppositely varying the angular position of the levers to shift the frame about a vertical axis.

In a draft attachment for vehicles provided with a steering Wheelya double-tree,

oppcsitely disposed levers on the doulole-k tree pivoted at their outer ends,ykm eans for moving the inner ends of the levers 1n opposite directions and linksx connecting ,y the le-y frame carrying the steering toothed gear Wheel mounted atthe center of the double-tree, segmental gears on the inner ends of the.,'levers adapted tovmesh on opposite sides of the .gear Wheel, means for revolving the n gear Wheel and Vmeans connecting the levers Withthe frame carrying the steering Wheel. Y*

Copies of this patent may beobtainedyfr five 'cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. CJ"

thereon pivoted. to the double-tree at their outer lends, a`

v7.1In a draft' attachment for vehicles provdedwith a steering Wheel, a double tree, oppositely ydisposed levers thereon pivoted at theirouter-ends a toothed gear Wheel mounted at `the 'center of the double-tree,

z segmental -gears onthe inner ends of theV levers-adapjtedto mesh on oppositejsides'of ythe gear Wheel, means including la hand- Wheel adjacent to the drivers seat `for revolving the. gear Wheel, links connecting the Wheel, and means Jfor locking the Ygear Wheel Yv.leversto the frame carrying they steering to hold theflrevers parallel to the double tree. n

llVit-nesses: A A Y GEO. B. HoAG, L L S, H. McBnmE.

MARTINE BLANCHARD.

Commissioner of latents, 

